Giants Vs. Jets, 'Kudos & Wet Willies' Review

Let's get right down to the serious business of handing out the 'Kudos & Wet Willies' following Monday night's 17-3 loss to the New York Jets.

Kudos to ...

Will Beatty: The Giants new starting left tackle showed up in the run game with a couple of aggressive lead blocks, including one pancake of a Jets defender. Need to see more of that from him.

Hakeem Nicks: Five catches for 71 yards in his best effort of the preseason thus far.

Michael Boley: The starting weakside linebacker was active with seven tackles. He was better and more aggressive at the line of scrimmage than I can remember from the past couple of seasons.

Clint Sintim: Yes, a 'kudos' for Sintim. Six tackles and a fumble recovery after entering the game in the first half when Mathias Kiwanuka injured a groin. The fumble recovery was impressive because right before the snap Sintim made a subtle adjustment in his positioning that put him in the right spot. He also made a couple of run stops in the backfield or right at the line of scrimmage. Best work from him that I can recall.

Ahmad Bradshaw: Was not expected to play and did not play much. But, there is just a huge difference in the Giants offense when he is in the game. Nobody else on the Giants can doe what he does.

Aaron Ross: Impressive coverage on Plaxico Burress a couple of times. So far, so good with Ross as a starting corner. He has skills, if he can just keep his body in one piece.

Antrel Rolle: His first game covering slot receivers, and he did a nice job. Really nothing completed in his direction and he was barely noticeable -- which was just fine.

Justin Tuck: I don't care what his numbers were, I just continue to be amazed at how hard the guy plays on every single snap. Preseason or not, he is all out on every play. That is how you lead a defense.

Wet Willies to ...

Special Teams: After looking really good a week ago against Chicago the special teams were pitiful against the Jets. Let's look at the culprits.

• Jerrel Jernigan: Three muffed punts and a fumbled one following an OK return. The shame of it is that the one time he did make a clean catch Jernigan broke off a 22-yard return that was about one step from being much bigger. He's a rookie trying to find his way, and he just doesn't look comfortable or decisive right now. The Giants can't have him back there Week 1 against Washington.
  
  By the way, an addition 'Wet Willie' to the 'Cut Jernigan' brigade in the comments sections of earlier posts. You don't cut a third-round pick, or try to push him to the practice squad. You coach them and try to develop them.
• Devin Thomas: Hey Devin, one great game does not guarantee you a roster spot or the kick return job. Catch the ball and run forward with it. Dropping the ball out of bounds at the 5-yard line is not good.
• Kickoff coverage: Putrid again, like it was too often last season. The worst part of Antonio Cromartie's long return was the number of Giants laying on the ground as Cromartie zoomed by. Until Rhys Lloyd shoved him out of bounds no Giant got within 10 yards.
  
  By the way, it was actually kind of fun watching the pot-bellied Lloyd cut off Cromartie and get him out of bounds. You can bet Cromartie is hearing about that from his teammates. I am excepting Lloyd from the special teams 'Wet Willies.' The tackle, a kickoff through the end zone and field goal were good work. The blocked kick was not his fault, either.
• Field-goal blocking: You have got to be kidding me here? A blocked kick from a defender right in the middle for the second time in three games? Blocking for these kicks should not be that difficult, and whoever it is/was who can't do that job simply should not be on the field.

Eli Manning: I will give Eli a little bit of a pass on the first interception since it was a fourth-down play. Still, it was a back foot throw that was way off target. {UPDATE: We have etsablished that I was incorrect on the fourth-down part of the assessment. Which means it was a ball Eli never should have thrown}. The second throw never should have been made and was discouraging to watch. A guy with his pedigree has to know better than to throw that ball. He also missed a couple of wide open receivers, including Mario Manningham on what should have been a long touchdown. Eli has to stop talking about making better decisions or taking better advantage of opportunities, and actually start DOING those things.

By the way, a 'Wet Willie' to those of you blabbering about how bad Manning is and how the Giants need to go find a quarterback of the future. When will you guys accept the fact that, warts and all, Manning is the quarterback for the foreseeable future?

Brandon Jacobs: Ruined what was a good night for him (10 carries, 51 yards) by initiating a fight with Jets rookie defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson. I don't care that it was a preseason game, or that it was Jets-Giants, you have to show better discipline than stupidly trading punches and getting ejected. Discipline doesn't magically show up in the regular season when you don't display it in preseason.

Deon Grant: For the same reason as Jacobs. These guys have been around a long time and they need to be better than that. Grant basically handed the Jets a touchdown taking a really dumb personal foul inside the 10-yard line.